Do you feel like the day just doesn’t have enough hours for everything you need to do? Are you burning the candle at both ends? Well, it’s about time to start freeing up some of that time. Make your tasks more manageable, less time-consuming, delegate them to someone else, or think hard on whether they need to be done in the first place.
The best way to free up time is, of course, to stop doing the tasks that be avoided, but here are a couple of more tips too:
1.Prep for the Next Day
Organized people know that the best way to make your morning run smoothly is to prep for it the night before. Pick out your clothes, and prep as much of breakfast and lunch as possible. Is breakfast smoothies your thing? Try to chop ingredients and add them in the blender the night before. Are you a breakfast skipper? Put a light, easy to eat on the go snack on your counter. Have keys, phone, and any paperwork or bags you will need ready in a specific place, like a personal launchpad.
2. Hire a Virtual Assistant
Are there parts of your business you don’t like? Are you unsure about marketing? Or accounting? Hire a Virtual Assistant to take over the tasks you no longer enjoy. Any tasks that don’t require you specifically are perfect for leaving to a Virtual Assistant. In fact, it’s a little like having a personal assistant. They can handle everything from online purchases to email management, to booking reservations.
Consider getting assistants from us here at Life Of Automation. Contact us today to find out how!
3. Keep a Call Schedule
Don’t let your day get interrupted by calls at random hours. Set up hours or days of the week when you can be reached by phone or in person, and stick to them. It will be easier to narrow down a time that will work for everyone, your schedule will be easier to manage, and you can avoid being stuck in meetings or calls on the days you know will be the busiest
4. No Social Media
There’s no quicker way to waste hours online than to log onto social media apps during your work hours. Avoiding social media apps and sites while you’re working will help you stay on task, finish faster, and yes; free up time.
5. Reschedule Something
Already borrowing trouble from later in the week? If looking at this week’s calendar makes you sweat, make the decision to reschedule one thing. Figure out one thing that can go, preferably a commitment that can be rescheduled on a better day. Be upfront with whoever you’ve committed to, and apologize, but be firm about canceling.
6. Eat-In
Leaving the office during the lunch hour doesn’t just mean an extended lunch break and loss of productive time spent walking or driving; it also means giving up on the flow you had going before lunch. If you’ve ever experienced difficulty getting back into the flow of working after eating out, save your time and up your productivity by eating in the office.
7. Ask a Friend
Nobody likes asking for help, but if you need some time off, consider asking a friend or family member to help you out. Whether you want them to stay on top of errands, or watch your house and pets while you take a short trip away, they’ll probably be happy to help.
8. Try Productivity Software
Sometimes we think we spend all day being busy when in reality there’s a lot of time wasted. One way to reel this time back in is to use a time tracking or productivity program. This way, you’ll be able to see exactly how your time is being spent, and you can free up time that isn’t being well used.
So there you have it; 8 great ways to create some extra hours in your week. Pick one to implement right away, and start enjoying that free time!